The Los Angeles Lakers added a lot of new roster pieces this offseason and hired a new coach. Projecting a starting lineup for 2019-20 is anyone’s guess.
With a new head coach and a roster that is almost completely revamped from last season, the Los Angeles Lakers will enter next season with a lot of options when putting together a starting lineup.
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Six players have returned from last season: LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso.
The newcomers include Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker.
There are only two absolute locks for L.A.’s starting five and those are LeBron and Davis. They are two of the top 10 players in the world by most accounts, both legit MVP and All-NBA First Team candidates.
Davis is arguably the best big man in the game; LeBron is arguably the best perimeter player. They will be in whichever starting five that coach Frank Vogel decides to pencil in for his debut with the Lakers.
Coach Frank Vogel on having LeBron and AD: "Both are guys that are going to command double teams in any action that you’re going to put them in.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) July 13, 2019
After that, no one knows which roles will be assigned to which players.
The new-look Lakers have depth and a lot of talent, which every team wants, but that translates to potential chemistry problems.
If even one player is unhappy with his minutes or his shots, or is coming off the bench when they believe they should be starting, that negative attitude can infect a locker room.
Vogel’s job is as much about finding the right combination to win games as it is about managing egos and maintaining harmony among the players.
Here are three potential starting lineups for the Lakers next season.